Engine.



Patented Mar. l2, I9 0I. 0 W. R. FLEMING.

ENGINE.

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1900.

2 Shoots-Sheat I.

(No Model.-

Patented Mar. |2,|90|. W..R. FLEMING. ENGINE.

[Application filed Feb. 28, [900.

2 Shoots-sh O Modem W hm \ I -@11 EYQMW WM IJNTTED STATES PATENT EEICE.

WILLIAM R. FLEMING, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,518, dated March 12, 1901. Application filed February 28, 1900. Serial No. 6,847. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. FLEMING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Engines, (Case 1,) of which the followingis a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

My invention relates to engines, and has for its objects, first, the construction of an improved form of automatically-lulnicated engine; second, an improvement in the construction of engines employinginclosed Working parts and a removable hood through which oil may be passed, the object being to so mount the hood that it may be readily opened and closed, and, third, the provision of means for enabling the attendant to determine whether or not oil is being conveyed to working parts of the engine.

My invention in all its aspects will be more fully hereinafter described, and set forth in the appended claims.

In one embodiment of my invention I employ a single crank-disk and provide a single bearing for the crank-shaft which supports the crank-disk at one end, and which may be suitably connected with the machinery to be driven at its other end, the frame of the engine being provided with a single bearing for the orank-shaft, the engine-casing being of sufficient height'at the crank-disk to form a basin beneath the same for the reception of lubricating-oil, a removable hood being employed to cover the crank-disk and to engage the upper marginal portions of the engine frame, the hood coacting with the engine-casing to form a complete inclosure for the working parts of the engine, the crank-shaft projecting through one side only of the complete engine-casing. In order that the hood may be conveniently and easily removed and replaced in position, I hinge the same at a transverse marginal edge thereof, preferably at that. transverse edge of the hood engaging the upper horizontal face of the engine-casing.

My invention is primarilydesigned for use in connection with horizontal high speed steam-engines, and the features of construction above described are admirably adapted for use in connection with engines of this class in which oil is cast by the crank-disk upon horizontally reciprocating working parts and into a trough or other conveying means for transferring the oil from the interior of the engine-casing to parts to be lubricated, the oil after having been used in lubricating outer bearing-surfaces being then returned to the interior of the casing along the crank-shaft and between the same and its bearing.

In my construction I employ a duct or trough upon the interior of the engine-casing, which receives the oil and passes it to an oilcup communicating with the single outer crank-shaft bearing, a strainer being preferably inserted within this oil-cup through which the oil. is passed to the said bearing.

Difficulty has frequently been experienced on the part of the engineer in accurately determining whether or not oil was being properly fed to the outer crankshaft bearings, and for the purpose of enabling the engineer to accurately determine this fact I preferably provide a supporting-body for the strainer presenting a white surface which contrasts with the color of parts of the engine around the oil-cup and with the color of the oil.

I will describe my invention more particularly by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a side view of an engine constructed in accordance with my invention, an alternative position of the removable hood being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a plan view of an engine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the outer crank-shaft bearing, showing the filtering device in place. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a porcelain support. Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating a seat for receiving a part carried by the removable hood or cover when it is opened to keep the hood in position to be readily grasped when it is to be restored to its closed position and to relieve the hinge of the hood from any undue strains. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the rear wall of the hood.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout the different views. The engine-frame a is usually supported upon a bed b properly to elevate the engineframe, the fly-wheel, and the cylinder. The horizontal tubular portion 0 of the engineframe is provided with an overhanging extension upon which the cylinder dis supported. The horizontal tubular portion contains the cross-head guides, between which the crosshead reciprocates, piston-rod e uniting one end of the cross-head with the piston. The connecting-rodf unites the other end of the cross-head with the crank-disk g. The portion of the engine casing containing the crank-disk is formed with a depression extending below the lower cross-head guide, thereby to form a pit or basin within which the lubricating-oil may be placed. One side wall ofthetubularportioncispreferablycontinued in its own plane to form a vertical side wall of the basin, this side wall of the frame coacting with the corresponding side wall of the hood to completely close the engine-frame upon this side of the engine, the crank-shaft projecting through the engine-casing upon the opposite side of the casing only. This side Wall of the engine-frame is joined with the transverse wall h, which is united with the remaining side vertical wall of the basin. The crank-disk supports a crank-pin upon one side, upon which pin the connecting-rod is journaled, and is united with the crankshaft t', which projects from the other side of the crank-disk. A bearing for the crankshaft is supported upon a laterally-deflected extension Z of the tubular portion 0, the upper surface of the extension Zlying, preferably,approximately in the same plane with the upper surface of the cylindrical portion-c, the innerlongitudinal and vertical wall of this extension forming a wall of the oil-basin. Onehalf of the crank-shaft bearing is preferably cast integral with the portion Zof the engineframe, the cap 0%, forming part of the bearing, being obliquely disposed and bolted about the shaft. A continuation n of the extension Z proj ects beyond the removable cap of the bearin g. The removable cap of the bearing is provided with an oil-cup 0, which is preferably cast in the cap, a duct leading from the bottom of the oil-cup to the shaft for conveying lubricant. The oil is returned to the crank-pit preferably by passing between the shaft and its hearing. A screen 19 is preferably secured within a support q, formed somewhat in the shape of a dish, and preferably made of porcelain or ceramic material, oil being passed from a pipe rthrough the filtering-screen into the oil-cup and thence to the crank-shaft. In this instance I have provided a'trough 3, carried upon the interior of the hood, the pipe 7' communicating at one end with the trough and projecting laterally from the hood over the oil-cup.

The engine illustrated being a forwardlyrunning engine,oilis caught withinthe trough 0r pocket upon the interior of the housing or casing and is conveyed from the trough through the pipe r to the oil-cup 0. The white background afforded by the filter-support q gives contrast to the color of the lubri- I eating material passingfrom the pipe 1-,Wbereby the attendant is readily enabled to determine whether or not the oil is properly flowing into the outer crank-shaft hearing. The hood preferably conforms in contour to the disk and is hinged at its upper transverse marginal edge if, preferably by two hinges mounted upon the upper surface of the enginefraine. To prevent the hood from being swung too far toward the head-of the engine, I provide an arm u, secured, preferably, near the transverse edge if of the hood, upon the upper Wall thereof, this arm serving to engage a recessed rest 12, provided with a cavity that is adapted to receive the free end of the said arm, whereby the hood when opened may be maintained in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, from which position the hood may be readily restored to its closed position, the recessed rest serving to determine the position of the hood when opened and to prevent lateral deflection thereof. In order that the oil maybe effectively prevented from escaping between the marginal meeting edges of the hood and engine-casing, I preferably construct the hood with extended side and transverse walls which extend within the englue-casing when the hood is closed, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, a rib w engaging the opposed marginal edges of the engineframe to afford engagement between the hood and the engine-frame. By providing extensions of the lateral and transverse walls of the hood in this manner I am not only enabled to prevent the oil from being dashed outside of the casing, but am enabled to provide a construction wherein a close fit is not absolutely necessary between the meeting edges of the hood and frame. The rear wall of the hood is cut away to encircle the bearing, the web to bending and following the contour of said hearing, as best shown in Fig. 6.

It is obvious that changes may readily be made from the preferred embodiment of my invention herein shown and particularly described, and I do not therefore wish to be limited to the precise construction shown; but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

1. In an engine, the combination with an inclosed horizontal frame portion provided with means for supporting the crank-shaft, of a crank-disk provided upon the crankshaft, a depression being provided in the engine-frame beneath the crank-disk to contain lubricating-oil, the walls of the engine-frame at the crank-disk being extended above the bottom of the crank-pit, a hood for covering the disk united with the upper wall of the engine-frame by a hinge-joint uniting the upper transverse edge portion of the hood with the engine-frame, an arm projecting from the upper face of the hood serving to limit its opening movement, and a recessed rest provided upon the upper portion of the engine-frame and adapted to engage the free end of the said arm, when the hood is opened, serving to determine the position of the hood when opened and to prevent lateral deflection thereof, substantially as described.

2. In an automatically-lubricated engine, the combination with aninclosed engine-casing provided with a basin for receiving lubricating-oil, of a crank-disk forming a part of the engine and dipping within the oil, a trough or receptacle for receiving lubricant cast upward by the crank-disk, a pipe or passage extending from the receptacle to a bearing 11 pon the exterior of the engine casing, a filter through which the oil is passed from the said pipe or passage to the said bearing, and a support (1 for the filter presenting a color in contrast to the color of the oil, substantially as described.

3. In an engine, the combination with an engine-frame having ahorizontal tubular portion provided with a laterally-deflected extension carrying a bearing for the crank-shaft, side walls of the basin constituting portions of the engine-frame, of a transverse wall uniting the side walls of the basin to complete the basin, a crank-disk, a crank-shaft mounted to rotate in said bearing and carrying the crank-disk upon one end thereof, the said crank-shaft projecting through one side of the casing of the engine only, a crank-pin upon the opposite side of the disk from which the shaft projects, a connecting-rod uniting the crank-pin with the cross-head of the engine, a hood engaging meeting edges of the engine-frame at the crank-disk and serving with the engine-frame when the hood is closed to form a complete wall opposite the face of the cran k-disk from which the crank-pin projects, the aforesaid basin being located beneath the crank-disk and serving to contain lubricating-oil, the engin e-frame and the said hood serving to form a complete inclosing casing for working parts of the engine, a trough or receptacle for receiving oil cast by the crank-disk, means for conveying the oil from the trough or receptacle to the exterior of the engine-casing to the said crank-shaft bearing, and means for returning the oil from the crank-shaft bearing to the engine-casing, the

said disk also serving to cast oil upon the crosshead to lubricate parts having Wearing en gagement therewith, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 12th day of February, A. D. 1900.

W. R. FLEMING.

Witnesses:

S. W. FLEMING, JOHN GASTROOK. 

